Then was read the first Confession of Sir Christopher Blunt,* taken the 18th February, 1600-1:

'He confesseth, that the Earl of Essex sent Wiseman, about the 20th of January, to visit his wife with letters of compliment, and to require him to come up unto him to London, to settle his estate according as he had written unto him before some few days.

'Being demanded, to what end they went to the City, to join with such strength as they hoped for there? he confesseth, it was to secure the Earl of Essex's life against such forces as should be sent against him. And being asked, What, against the Queen's forces? he answered, That must have been judged afterwards; for the forces might be such as came by direction of such of his enemies as might have had authority to command

*The following letter directed to Mr Edward Coke, Esq., her Majesty's Attorney-General,' is amongst the papers relating to the Earl of Essex, at the State-Paper Office.

Sir, I pray you, if possibly you can, let not Blunt's words be read, wherein he saith, that if he were committed any farther than to the Lord of Canterbury's house, the Lord Keeper's, or Mr. Comptroller's, he would do, &c. My reason is this -it will show a spirit of prophecy, and now confessed, seems a little to savour as if he did coin it. These words only I would have left out, for indeed the rest is very necessary; but that divination is too suspicious. Your's assuredly, ROBERT CECYLL.' 'Methinks it might be in these words, "that if he were not committed to any prison," or in some such like; or else wholly that portion left out; but in any wise, let not these places be named, because it proved so ex post facto.'

We cannot help the reader to the explanation of this letter, as there is nothing in Blunt's confessions, or the numerous documents in the State-Paper Office relating to this transaction, which throws any light upon it. It appears from a List of the Prisoners and where they are prisoned,' published in Lodge, vol. iii, p. 120, that Blunt was not confined in any public prison, as his name is not to be found in the list: but what the statement was which Cecil refers to is matter of conjecture. We have given the letter as affording an additional proof that in those times the statements of witnesses were discharged of all suspicious matter before they were proved in Court.

in the Queen's name, and would have done that without the Queen's privity.*

But being further asked, whether he did advise to come unto the Court over night? he saith, No; for Sir Ferdinando Gorge did assure, that the alarm was taken of it at the Court, and the guards, doubled.

'Being asked, whether he thought any Prince could have endured to have any subject make the City his mediator? or to gather force to speak for him? he saith, he is not read in stories of former times; but he doth not know, but that in former times subjects have used force for their mediation.

'Being asked, what should have been done by any of the persons that should have been removed from the Queen? he answereth, that he never found my Lord disposed to shed blood; but that any that should have been found, should have had indifferent trial.

'Being asked upon his conscience, whether the Earl of Essex did not give him comfort, that if he came to authority, there should be a toleration for religion? he confesseth he should have been to blame to have denied it.' +

Attorney-General. There is another Examination of Sir Christopher Blunt's; I pray let that be read.

Sir Christopher Blunt's second Examination taken the same day:

'Being told that he did not deal plainly in his former Confession, he excuseth himself by his former weakness, putting us in mind that he said, before that, when he was able to speak, he would tell all the truth, doth now confess,—That four or five days before the insurrection, the Earl of Essex did set down certain

* Here is another instance of the suppression of part of the examination in Bacon's account. It is obvious that the words in italics qualify the preceding statement.

that

+ In the original these words follow, but were not read at the trial; for in the Earl's usual talk he was wont to say he liked not that any man should be troubled for his religion.' They are marked for omission in the usual manner by Sir Edward Coke, and are also omitted in the Confession as published by Bacon.

+ Blunt was severely wounded in the affray in the City on the Sunday morning.

articles to be considered on, which he saw not till afterwards he was made acquainted with them, when they had amongst themselves disputed, which were these; one of them was, whether the Tower of London should be taken? another, whether they should not possess the Court, and so secure my Lord and other men to come to the Queen? For the first, concerning the Tower, he did not like it, concluding that, he that had the care of the Queen should have that. "He saith further, that this matter was not fully resolved on, because of the contrariety of opinions, and accidents that happened after." He confesseth that on Saturday night, when Mr Secretary Herbert had been with the Earl, and that he saw some suspicion was taken, he thought it in vain to attempt the Court, and persuaded him rather to save himself by flight, than to engage himself further and all his company. And so the resolution of the Earl grew to go into the City, in hope, as he said before, to find many friends there. He doth also say, that the Earl did usually speak of his purpose to alter the Government.'

Then was read the Earl of Rutland's Examination, taken the 12th February, 1600-1:

'He saith, that at his coming to Essex-house on Sunday morning last, he found there with the Earl of Essex, the Lord Sandys, and the Lord Chandos, and divers Knights and Gentlemen. And the Earl of Essex told this Examinate, that his life was practised to be taken away by the Lord Cobham, and Sir Walter Raleigh, when he was sent for to the Council; and the Earl said, that now he meant by the help of his friends to defend himself: and saith, That the detaining of the Lord Keeper and the other Lords sent to the Earl from the Queen, was a stratagem of war: and saith, That the Earl of Essex told him that the City of London stood for him, and that Sheriff Smith had given him intelligence that he would make as many men to assist him as he could; and further, the Earl of Essex said, that he meant to possess himself of the City, the better to enable himself to revenge him on his enemies, the Lord Cobham, Sir Robert Cecil, and Sir Walter Raleigh. And this Examinate confesseth, that he re

solved to live and die with the Earl of Essex; and that the Earl of Essex did intend to make his forces so strong, that her Majesty should not be able to resist him in the revenge of his enemies. And saith, That the Earl of Essex was most inward with the Earl of Southampton, Sir Christopher Blunt, and others; who have of long time showed themselves discontented, and have advised the Earl of Essex to take other courses, and to stand upon his guard; and saith, That when the Earl of Essex was talking with the Lord Keeper, and other the Lords sent from her Majesty, divers said, "My Lord, they mean to abuse you, and you lose time." And when the Earl came to Sheriff Smith's, he desired him to send for the Lord Mayor that he might speak with him; and as the Earl went in the streets of London, this Examinate said to divers of the citizens, "that if they would needs come, that it was better for their safety to come with weapons in their hands :" and saith, That the Earl of Essex, at the end of the street where Sheriff Smith dwelt, cried out to the citizens, "that they did him harm, for that they came naked;" and willed them to get them weapons; and the Earl of Essex also cried out to the citizens, "that the crown of England was offered to be sold to the Infanta ;" and saith, That the Earl burned divers papers that were in a little casket, whereof one was, as the Earl said, an history of his troubles: and saith, That when they were assaulted in Essex-house, after their return, they first resolved to have made a sally out; and the Earl said, that he was determined to die; and yet in the end they changed their opinion and yielded and saith, That the Earl of Southampton, Sir Christopher Blunt, and Sir John Davies, advised the Earl of Essex, that the Lord Keeper and his company should be detained ; and this Examinate saith, That he heard divers there present cry out, "Kill them, kill them:" and saith, That he thinketh the Earl of Essex intended, that after he had possessed himself of the City, he would intreat the Lord Keeper and his company to accompany him to the Court: and saith, That the Earl of Southampton showed himself discontented long before, and often said that the Earl of Essex had had great wrong and hard proceedings

against him.* He saith he heard Sir C. Blunt say openly, in the presence of the Earl of Essex and others, how fearful, and in what several humours, they should find them at the Court when they should come thither.'

Then was read the Confession of William Lord Sandys, taken the 16th of February, 1600-1:

'He saith that he never understood that the Earl did mean to stand upon his strength till Sunday in the morning, being the 8th of this instant February: and saith, that in the morning of that day, this Examinate was sent for by the Earl of Essex about six or seven of the clock; and the Earl sent for him by his servant Warburton, who was married to a widow in Hampshire. And at his coming to the Earl there were six or seven gentlemen with him, but remembereth not what they were; and next after, of a nobleman, came my Lord Chandos, and after him came the Earl of Southampton, and presently after the Earl of Rutland, and after him Mr Parker, commonly called the Lord Monteagle; and saith, that at his coming to the Earl of Essex, he complained that it was practised by Sir Walter Raleigh to have murdered him as he should have gone to the Lord Treasurer's house with Mr Secretary Herbert. And saith, that he was present in the court-yard of Essex-house, when the Lord Keeper, the Earl of Worcester, Sir William Knolles, and the Lord Chief Justice, came from the Queen's Majesty to the Earl of Essex; and the Lord Chief Justice required the Earl of Essex to have some private conference with him; and that if any private wrongs were offered unto him, that they would make true report thereof to her Majesty, who, no doubt, would reform the same: and saith, that this Examinate went with the Earl, and the rest of his company, to London to Sheriff Smith's, but went not into the house with him, but stayed in the street a while; and being sent for by the Earl of Essex, went into the house, and from thence came with him till he came to Ludgate; which place being guarded, and resistance being made, and perceived by the Earl of Essex, he said unto his company, "Charge ;" and thereupon Sir Christopher Blunt, and others of his

*This omitted in Bacon's Declaration.'